Headwear and sewing method therefor using rubber thread

ABSTRACT

Headwear having a crown portion and a headband attached to and extending around the lower inside edge of the crown portion. The sewing thread used on the headband includes rubber thread and nylon stretch thread sewn together in a chain-like pattern to provide expandability and thereby increase the number of different wearer head sizes that may be accommodated by the headband. With this construction, a wide range of automatic size adjustment is obtained without imposing undue elastic pressure on the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is related to the field of headwear and,more particularly, to headwear able to accommodate a range of headsizes, automatically fitting the wearer's head while remainingcomfortable for extended use.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A baseball style cap generally includes a crown main body, avisor portion that is secured to the forward edge of the crown andextends outwardly therefrom, a headband attached to the lower part ofthe inside of the crown, and a size controller attached to an undersideof the rear of the cap. The size of the cap is adapted to fit thewearer's head using the size controller. This can be inconvenient as thewearer often must adjust the size each time the cap is worn.

[0005] To overcome this inconvenience, cap headbands have beenconstructed that include an elastic band made of fabric which includesspandex yarn, giving the headband size flexibility while eliminating thesize controller. It has been found, however, that such a cap exertspressure against the wearer's head which can become uncomfortable afterthe cap is worn for an extended period of time. In addition, the sizeadjustability of such a cap is limited by the lack of elasticity in thethread used to sew the headband and/or the joint between the headbandand the crown.

[0006] Accordingly, a need exists for a free-size cap having a headbandthat can accommodate a wider range of head sizes without imposing unduepressure on the wearer so as to remain comfortable over extended timeperiods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In view of the foregoing, one object of the present invention isto provide headwear with a headband that can stretch to accommodate headsizes without a separate size controlling mechanism.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide automaticsize-adjusting headwear that does not exert undue pressure on the headwhen worn.

[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a caphaving wider size range accommodation through the use of rubber threadand nylon stretch thread sewn in a chain-like pattern along theheadband.

[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a capin which the crown part and the headband are joined using rubber threadand nylon thread.

[0011] In accordance with these and other objects, the present inventionis directedFto headwear having a crown portion and a headband attachedto and extending around the lowerFinside edge of the crown portion. Avisor part may also be attached to the underside of the crown portion.The sewing thread used on the headband includes rubber thread and nylonstretch thread sewn together in a chain-like pattern to provideexpandability and thereby increase the number of different wearer headsizes that may be accommodated by the headband. With this construction,a wide range of automatic size adjustment is obtained without imposingundue elastic pressure on the wearer.

[0012] These together with other objects and advantages which willbecome subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view of a baseball-style cap witha headband according to the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a top view of a visor cap with the headband according tothe present invention;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a top view of another hat style with the headbandaccording to the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 4 is an outer perspective view of the headband sewn withrubber and nylon stretch threads according to the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 5 is an inner perspective view of the headband shown in FIG.4;

[0018]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional stitchingpattern; and

[0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the chain-like stitchingpattern according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In describing preferred embodiments of the invention illustratedin the drawings, it is to be understood that these embodiments are givenby way of illustration only. It is not intended that the invention belimited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specificterminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to beunderstood that each specific term includes all technical equivalentswhich operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0021] The present invention is directed to headwear of various types,each having a headband sewn with rubber thread and nylon stretch threadin a chain-like pattern to provide automatic size adjustment toaccommodate a wider range of head sizes and with greater comfort than ispossible using prior art headwear structures and sewing methods.

[0022] According to a first embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, thepresent invention is directed to a baseball-style cap including a crownmain body, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, a visorportion, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, and aheadband, generally designated by the reference numeral 3. The crownpart 1 is generally made of more than one piece of fabric. The visorportion 2 is secured to the forward edge of the crown main body 1, andthe headband 3 is secured to the lower peripheral edge of the interiorof the crown 1. The visor 2 may include a stiffening member 4 coveredwith the visor fabric. The headband 3 is folded to have a tunnel-likeshape and is secured using a plurality of stitching lines 5, each ofwhich is composed of rubber thread and nylon stretch thread.

[0023] In addition, the joint between the crown main body 1 and theheadband 3 (not shown) is sewn using rubber thread and nylon thread,further enhancing the stretchability of the cap. The stitching of suchjoint may be sewn so as to be visible on the outer surface of the crownmain body 1, or may be sewn so as to be visible only from the inside ofthe cap such that the consistency of the outer appearance of the cap isnot disturbed.

[0024] A second embodiment of the headwear in accordance with thepresent invention, namely that of a visor, is shown in FIG. 2. The visorincludes a crown part, generally designated by the reference numeral 6,a visor part 2 attached to the front side of the crown part 6, and aheadband, generally designated by the reference numeral 8. The headband8 is attached to the lower peripheral edge of the interior of the crownpart 6. The headband 8 is folded to have a tunnel-like shape and issecured using a plurality of stitching lines 9, each of which iscomposed of rubber thread and nylon stretch thread. The elastic threadmay be readily stretched in the direction of the periphery of the crownpart 6 to accommodate various head sizes. As with the cap, the jointbetween the crown part 6 and the headband 8 is sewn using rubber threadand nylon thread.

[0025] A third embodiment of the headwear in accordance with the presentinvention, namely that of a brimmed hat, is shown in FIG. 3. The brimmedhat includes a crown part, generally designated by the reference numeral10, a brim part, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, and aheadband, generally designated by the reference numeral 12. The crownpart 10 is generally made of more than one piece of fabric. The headband12 and the brim part 11 are each attached to the lower peripheral edgeof the interior of the crown part 10. The headband 12 is folded to havea tunnel-like shape and is secured using a plurality of stitching lines13, each of which is composed of rubber thread and nylon stretch thread.As with the baseball-style cap and the visor, the elastic thread used tostitch the headband of the brimmed hat may be readily stretched in thedirection of the periphery of the crown part 10 to accommodate varioushead sizes, and the joint between the crown part 10 and the headband 12is sewn using rubber thread and nylon thread.

[0026] As shown in each of FIGS. 1-3, the respective headwear isconstructed without a separate size controlling element so that, uponwearing thereof, the fabric of the headband and the stitching thereonare stretched as necessary to fit the wearer's head. The headband may bemade of a textile containing no spandex yarn to limit the stretchabilityof such band or may, alternatively, be made of a textile which includesspandex yarn for increased size adjustability.

[0027]FIG. 4 illustrates the headband according to the presentinvention, generally designated by the reference numeral 14, as sewnwith rubber thread and nylon stretch thread, shown from the outer side18, with “outer” referring to that side of the headband which directlycontacts the wearer's head when the headwear bearing the headband isworn. Conversely, FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the inner side 19 of theheadband 14, with “inner” referring to that side of the headbandopposite the outer side 18 and contacting the inner surface of the loweredge of the crown part of the headwear bearing the headband. Theheadband 14 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is representative of each of theheadbands 3, 8, 12 depicted in the various embodiments of FIGS. 1-3.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the headband 14 preferably includesfour lines of stitching, generally designated by the reference numeral15. Each line of stitching 15 is formulated using at least two threads,which may be made of different materials, with only one of the threadsbeing visible on one of the sides of the headband. Particularly, asshown in FIG. 4, the outer portion of the lines of stitching 15 a,namely that portion visible on the outer side 18 of the headband 14,represents only an outer thread 20 and has an appearance like that ofconventional stitching; an example of conventional stitching is shown inFIG. 6. However, according to the present invention, the inner portionof the lines of stitching 15 b, namely that portion visible on the innerside 19 of the headband 14, shown in FIG. 5, includes both the outerthread 20 and an inner thread 21 which, as shown in greater detail inFIG. 7, are sewn together in a chain-like pattern.

[0029] According to the conventional stitching method as shown in FIG.6, an upper thread 16 and a lower thread 17 are interwoven in atongue-and-groove type relationship to each other through the spacebetween the outer fabric 18 and the inner fabric 19. The resulting linesof stitching look the same on both the outer fabric 18 and inner fabric19, with a single one of the threads 16, 17 being visible on eachfabric, respectively.

[0030] According to the method of sewing with rubber thread according tothe present invention, shown in FIG. 7, the outer thread 20 and theinner thread 21 are interwoven in a chain-like pattern. Starting at theouter fabric 18 (for purposes of description), the outer thread 20 goesthrough both the outer fabric 18 and the inner fabric 19, and thenweaves down and up through a double loop of the inner thread 21, asshown, to form a chain-like pattern on the inner portion 15 b of thelines of stitching. The outer thread 20 then goes back through the innerfabric 19 and the outer fabric 18 to form a generally linear pattern onthe outer portion 15 a of the lines of stitching 15. As shown, only theouter thread passes through the outer and inner fabric layers 18, 19 ofthe headband, and the outer thread 20 goes through a double loop of saidinner thread 21 in between each pass through such headband fabric layers18, 19.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment, the outer thread 20 isrubber thread and the inner thread 21 is nylon stretch thread. It isalso possible to use rubber thread for both the outer thread 20 and theinner thread 21, or to use nylon stretch thread for both threads, butbest results are obtained with the rubber outer thread and the nylonstretch inner thread in accordance with the preferred embodiment.

[0032] Through the use of elastic thread elements and the chain-likepattern as described and illustrated herein, the headband according tothe present invention achieves good expandability, accommodating a widerange of head sizes with a high degree of comfort for the wearer.

[0033] The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered asillustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention maybe configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by thedimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of thepresent invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Forexample, the headband may be incorporated into hats, caps and visors ofother styles. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to thespecific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operationshown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. Headwear comprising: a crown main body; and aheadband attached along said lower peripheral edge of said crown mainbody, said headband having a plurality of stitching lines, each of saidstitching lines formed from an inner thread and an outer threadinterwoven in a chain-like pattern, each of said inner thread and saidouter thread having elasticity.
 2. The headwear as set forth in claim 1,wherein said crown main body and said headband are sewn together usingrubber thread and nylon thread.
 3. The headwear as set forth in claim 2,wherein said outer thread is rubber thread and said inner thread isnylon stretch thread.
 4. The headwear as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid outer thread is rubber thread and said inner thread is nylonstretch thread.
 5. The headwear as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidheadband is made of textile containing no spandex yarn.
 6. The headwearas set forth in claim 1, wherein said crown main body is made of morethan one piece of fabric including spandex yarn.
 7. The headwear as setforth in claim 1, wherein said crown main body is made of more than onepiece of fabric containing no spandex yarn.
 8. The headwear as set forthin claim 3, wherein said plurality of stitching lines are sewn such thaton one side of said headband only said outer thread is visible.
 9. Theheadwear as set forth in claim 8, wherein only said outer thread passesthrough said headband.
 10. The headwear as set forth in claim 8, whereinboth said inner thread and said outer thread, interwoven in saidchain-like pattern, are visible on a side of said headband opposite saidone side.
 11. The headwear as set forth in claim 9, wherein said inneris interwoven with said outer thread in said chain-like patternexclusively on a side of said headband opposite said one side. 12.Headwear comprising: a crown main body; a visor portion secured to aperipheral edge of said crown main body and extending outwardlytherefrom; and a headband attached along said lower peripheral edge ofsaid crown main body, said headband having a plurality of stitchinglines, each of said stitching lines formed from a rubber thread and anylon stretch thread interwoven in a chain-like pattern.
 13. Theheadwear as set forth in claim 12, wherein a joint between said crownmain body and said headband is sewn using rubber thread and nylonthread.
 14. The headwear as set forth in claim 13, wherein said joint issewn so that a stitch line thereof is visible on an outer surface ofsaid crown main body.
 15. The headwear as set forth in claim 13, whereinsaid joint is sewn so that a stitch line thereof is not visible on anouter surface of said crown main body.
 16. The headwear as set forth inclaim 12, wherein said plurality of stitching lines are sewn such thaton one side of said headband only said rubber thread is visible.
 17. Theheadwear as set forth in claim 12, wherein only said rubber threadpasses through said headband.
 18. The headwear as set forth in claim 17,wherein both said nylon stretch thread and said rubber thread,interwoven in said chain-like pattern, are visible on a side of saidheadband opposite said one side.
 19. The headwear as set forth in claim18, wherein said rubber thread passes through a double loop of saidnylon stretch thread on said side opposite said one side in between eachpass through said headband.
 20. A method of sewing lines of stitchingusing rubber thread, comprising the steps of: passing an outer threadthrough an outer fabric and then an inner fabric; weaving the outerthread down and up through a double loop of an inner thread to form achain-like pattern on an inner portion of the lines of stitching; andpassing the outer thread back through the inner fabric and then theouter fabric to form a generally linear pattern on an outer portion ofthe lines of stitching.